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Tired after the Ball and Tourney, and the events that followed, I was hunting alone in the nort east forest. Killing things, wandering, looking towards the west..... My thoughts became eventually too much for me, and I decided to try something I had never done before. My training is now such that every new beast I meet is a new experience. I never was at this level before the cleansing. And I am amazed and sometimes shocked, when large beasties that before seemed impossible to face, now can be faced easily. So, I soloed my first Greywyrm.
Odesseus has had yet another dream. This time it involves Soulglasses, and of course, the darkness that brings.
A slave galley was defeated some days ago. This is from Coeur de Leons account on what happened.
As the battle raged on the waters, another battle was joined on land. Thugs and Blades lined the shore yelling for the galley to get the slaves ashore and quickly. They seemed to be fearful of the priests and acolytes to whom they where apparently transporting the slaves.
It was after this battle, Shadowsky found the parchment.
Following the discovery of the parchment by Shadowsky, a small but skilled group gathered together in the meadow to try to find another piece in the Orga Camp. Rumours said it could be found there. It has been speculated for a long time in this alliance between the Orga and the Darshaks, and we were eager to find proof. It seemed however that the major force of the Orga´s were occupied elsewhere, as all we met were angers, regular orgas, and all those vermins. I thought it was strange at the time, but later we found out why.. No parchment were seen in the old camp, so we tried to venture further into OC 2. There we were stopped by 18 `locks. There were no way we could pass them with our small force, so we wisely retreated, and even rescued those fallen inside OC2 before we left. By then , it was also clear that the Orga´s had bypassed us, as we sensed many exiles fall to them in the South Forest. That was were the major force of the Orga´s were, as we met Wraths and Frenzies in large numbers. I became a part of yet another small group deep down in the South Forest. We had success in working behind the enemy lines for a long time. Taking out spites, some Rages, and Warlocks. The Orga must have access to our SS network though, because as soon as I had reported in our success, we were ambushed by a Wrath, and the group scattered.
In this large invasion, I had my own problems too. My love had read my diary, and my thoughts on The Black Knight. Sleipnir the Noble One, my love and heart´s blood, would not speak to me. Would not listen to me. Just proclaimed his undying love for me, and said that everything was in order, although I could sense in my soul that it was not. There were a shadow between us, and it was growing. But how could I fight something I did not know what was, and when my love was so silent? I tried many times on this long, so long night. I was in deep despair, weeping a lot as I slew many beasties, crying out my love´s name, and yet unable to approach him when I saw him. Finally, after the battle was won, I had a chance to talk to him in the park. But I could not make him understand that my love for him was no less just because I fight temptations. In his mind, temptations should not exist at all.
Sleipnir says, "My love is not a choice. It is not something upon which I decide, each time I meet a beautiful and charming exile. If thou wert to take away my love, I would not be Sleipnir. This is not something I can choose, or change. It just is. It is as much part of me as my eyes, or my lips. I cannot choose them, or trade them in for another pair. I cannot be tempted by another pair of shapely legs. I must abide with the ones I have. (Sleipnir grins to himself)
Such is my love for thee.
And will always be so.
I cannot change that.
Oh Gaia help me. How can I meet such a devotion! How could I , vulnerable and not-so-noble make him understand that I make that choice every day, and that my love for him in this is strengthened by this, and not weakened ? I could not. I was about to give up, when a Fen came by. His name was Kale, and am I forever in his debt. By his words, and by the example he used, he at least got the stubborn one to understand. Not all is mended between us , but the shadow is weaker now.
This is what Toosa says about the parchment Shadowsky found on the beach of Ash isle.
Toosa says, "'To: Secretary to the High Overlord
From: Prelate, Ash Island
Temple Subject: Raids by Exiles of Puddleby '"
Toosa frowns at a page and crumples it.
Toosa says, "'We are far short of meeting the quotas you have set for us.
In the days and weeks immediately following 'unsuccessful Ripture War, I had thought the menace from this
source weakened to insignificance. '"
Toosa shuffles the pages into a different order.
Toosa says, "'improving their skills. If we do not put an end to this
menacing magic, they may ultimately sweep us from '"
Toosa shuffles the pages into a different order.
Toosa says, "'I humbly appeal to yourself, and to the High Overlord for
whom you speak, for such guidance and aid as you, '"
Toosa says, "There is a gap in the text."
Toosa says, "That is all that I know of the letter found on the beach." As told by Kale.
It was quite clear what the Orga´s were after, although we still did not understand why. During another invasion, a small group, consisting of brave Sylvans, protected the Altar with our bodies. The Orga´s were at east gate already.
I was in the library during Bartok´s raid, but Weezoh made this sketch of the theft. Even though many exiles guarded the altar with their bodies, Bartok succeeded in stealing the altar. Pushing and pulling the exiles, chaining them , he made room enough around the altar so the warleader could carry it out.
The Warleader carrying the altar meeting Trauma´s Kudzu fortress in eastfield. There is none in the lands more inventive in Kudzu-use than this Thoom. After the altar were gone, it was obvious why they wanted to steal this particular piece. The healers can no longer self-heal, which makes all the exiles vulnerable. I fear this theft is only the beginning. And as we search the lands for the pieces, it seems to be 12 in all, the Darshaks might be mounting a large offensive. As I write this I hear 11 are found already. Some near town, some deep in Orga Camp. Many exiles thinks that the last piece is deep in OC 3 or OC 4. Yet no one has seen it. And, well, I do not know what to think. The parchment found on the beach, mentions: If we do not put an end to this menacing magic.... Is the magic reffered to the magic of the Altar that protects us, and give the healers their healing powers, or is it a reference to something else. Granted, stealing it makes us more vulnerable to an attack from the Darshaks, and yet they have not been seen at all. I just wonder... The High Overlord, is that Bartok or someone else not yet seen.. We overheard Qual on SS some days ago. I only picked up this message :
Qual The Wizard thinks, "Yes my ally, the time is almost at hand.
Rest for now, but be ready for the spell is almost woven."
This was before the altar was stolen. The spell, is that the one that shattered the altar or do we have more coming our way? The alliance seems to be larger than we thought. Not only the Darshak and the Orgas, but Qual and his ilk too. Is Qual the High Overlord then? I have too many questions, and not one answer. sigh.
While I once again was resting in the library, sigh, it appears that a large battle was being fought in the meadow. I would have loved to try my axe against that brute. From Ton´s account on the battle :
We had just delivered the ninth (or tenth?) altar piece to Master Hekus.
J'jh, J'nder and I were relaxing in the Town Temple when this huge "thing"
appeared before us. I made the mistake of trying to converse with the beast
and it quickly flattened me as well as my other two friends.
Bartok rampaged up through North Farms into North Forest, then back down to
town where a large part of the populace on the island chased him east,
finally cornering him in the Meadow.
We have not seen the last of Bartok though. He used Purgatory to escape!
All the exiles, or most of them anyway, are now hunting to earn coppers to purify the altar. Master Hekus is in his study, rather mad I would imagine, after being dragged to court twice. He gave the coppers to Vagile, and last I saw she was sleeping outside the library. You can give her coins still. One of the healer´s masters, Eva, had a short meeting in town. Her presence fired up the discussion yet again, should we or should we not bother to purify the altar. A large discussion, arguments from both sides, accusations of collaborating with the enemy etc. Just another day in town square... And I can´t help think of how the Orbs divided the exiles on this island. This time it´s an altar, or rather the question of purifying it, that divides us. Vagile keeps telling us that we do not have much time. She is convinced something bad will happen, and soon. And of course, her motivations are questioned as well. Not too surprising, considering... What they do not know however, those that accuse her, is the power of the words of exiles like My Love the Noble Sleipnir, and our Master Scholar Michael Aridfox. They both have a large influence on her, and she is, in her own rather weird way, an honorable one. We really should keep her away from lizards though.
Yet more sad news. Falinea´s moonstone seems to have crumbled to dust. It happened when the altar was stolen. Polerand met her in northeastfield.
Many of our foes have been busy as of late. And I think we have not been hunting enough in the arachnoid cavern lately, as Zonk has managed to build a new tower. Indeed. Not the dusty old one I was so "lucky" to visit before. No. It seems Zonk has made it almost impossible for any dust to hmm...........settle down in there. He is a tidy one, you know. He becomes quite frantic if there is as much as a tiny bloodstain on his precious floor. Gurgi kept insisting that he wanted to see this new tower. There were a large earth quake, and when we came to our senses again, Gurgi of course was gone. And then we sensed him fall to a Black Widow again, and again, and again... Poor Gurgi. I fear he was being tormented in that tower. I think I expressed my concern one too many, as I suddenly was swept away, and joined Gurgi. The first that met me was this huge Black Widow. And it´s stinking bite..
We were raised, barely, and put in this cell. There we exchanged pleasantries with Zonk for a while... And yes, I know, I know... not very clever to oppose someone who has you trapped in his cell, and has Black Widows as pets... I will try to remember that if I see him again.. It did actually occur to me there and then too. And I did change my tactic. He seems to be a lonely one, and I do think he loves the attention and the interest in him. He freed us from this prison cell, and we promptly found something else we could fall to. We are Puddlebians remember? When I saw Gurgi fall, I couldn´t be standing up alone could I! I mean, where is the loyalty in that!
It seems he has build this tower to more easy travel between Puddleby and wherever he calls home. It is not his only way to travel he said, but without it, it was complicated. He can move the entrance to wherever he wants to. It´s a gateway he said. He is working on some spells , fragile things. Didn´t want Gurgi´s primitive happendages near them he said. I am quite sure he meant Gurgi´s ... And when he gets bored, he takes an exile in to torment. He seemed quite willing to talk about himself this time. Maybe it was the changing in tactic that did it, I don´t know. Maybe it was my sweet smile, but I somehow doubt that. Maybe it was Gurgi´s constant teasing, questioning his power. Maybe it was all that. Or maybe it was just one of those times he was bored, and wanted company. I was eager to learn more, but then swc had to leave me there! She was being tormented by beasts more dangerous than the widows, and just had to flee. She calls them "professors". The mere sound of that word, makes me shiver. When I woke up again, I was on my back in north forest. Zonk gone, the entrance to the tower closed. And I had a bump in my head. Seems to me he just threw me out! Now I will never learn more about the tower, and what kind of spells he is experimenting with. sigh. Later I heard that Ace Rimmer had been given a Zonk shirt. A shirt that changes color. After interrogating him whether he had to promise anything to get it, he said no. I wonder... The last thing we need is a Zonk spy in our midst. We have enough with the Orga´s as it is.
Toosa has made progress with the letter found on the beach. Here is what she now knows. New deciphering in bold:
To: Secretary to the High Overlord
From: Prelate, Ash Island Temple
Subject: Raids by Exiles of Puddleby '"
Toosa says, "I can't make out this bit."
Toosa says, "'We are far short of meeting the quotas
you have set for us. In the days and weeks immediately following '"
Toosa says, "'unsuccessful Ripture War, I had thought the menace
from this source weakened to insignificance. '"
Toosa says, "I can't make out this bit."
Toosa says, "'and their power grows again, alarmingly, day by day.
That power is the strange enchantment which '"
Toosa shuffles the pages into a different order.
Toosa says, "'improving their skills. If we do not put an end
to this menacing magic, they may ultimately sweep us from '"
Toosa shuffles the pages into a different order.
Toosa says, "'I humbly appeal to yourself, and to the High Overlord
for whom you speak, for such guidance and aid as you, '"
Toosa says, "'in your great wisdom, see fit to provide. I also
ask for reinforcements in the form of warships. '"
Toosa shuffles the pages into a different order.
Toosa says, "That is all that I know of the letter
found on the beach."
Warships. They are asking for more warships....oh dear.
Master Hekus has now purified the altar, and will be assembling it soon. Just before he started his work however, Ksyr Agasha was able to steal a large sum of money from Vagile! And if that name is unfamiliar to you , read Selucreh´s tale. Do the names Murder, Misery and Malice ring a bell? This is from Koric´s account on the theft:
A stranger appeared in town by the name of Ksyr Ashada.
Not 15 Puddleby minutes after he first started clanning, he
accosted Vagile Savane and stole about 40,000 coins Vagile
had been carrying
I fear I will never be as wise as some exiles I know and admire. I am too easy to tempt into doing things, trying things. And those that know my weakness, do often take advantage of that. So also with the Mist Walker. I was drawn to the jail one day, because strange things took place there. Many undines inside the jail. It seemed a Necromancer in his cell was responsible for summoning them all. His cell was full of various undines too. I was busy investigating this phenomena, when Chum showed up. And he asked me if I thought I could manage to clear the cell out. I said yes, although I knew full well that I would fall, but he questioned my skills so I had to say yes. Of course I could! He then convinced the deputy to let me in, and I fell shortly after . And there I was, fallen and with undines trampling on my hair. Many exiles gathered outside the cell, and tried to comfort me. And Chum? He disappeared of course.. I laid there for over an hour, trying to make it comfortable on that hard floor. Envisioning a life in that cell forever, with only some glimpses of my love trough the door. Being fed various things from Haricot´s kitchen by compassionate exiles. Hear Joe´s ramblings over and over. My thoughts were dark, indeed. After something that felt like an eternity Chum came back. And told me that there were some complications. Why was I not surprised... It seemed the deputy didn´t have any record of me being there, and thus could I not be released, as I was not there... Or, that is what Chum told us all. What he relly spoke about with the deputy I guess we will never know. Because, the deputy was the one that put me in the cell in the first place, and now she didn´t remember? Hmm! Short-term memory indeed! All this was of course only so that Chum could come out as the rescuer, as he used his chain to get me out. When my love heard the news, he did properly abuse and chastise the Mist Walker for his actions. He is such a Brave One that Noble One! We are now busy planning our revenge. The trap has been set, will the Mist Walker fall in it?
I am not often seen in the arena, althought sometimes, just sometimes, it is loads of fun testing your abilities against other exiles. We set up a team, 5 against 5, and had a brawl. Adua commented on me yelling my usual phrase :" Dance the beasts." as she said these were males, not beasts. Exactly...males. My recent experience with these sometimes sentient beings led me to that yell.. It was wild! And great fun! Baba´s team won! Hooray! And thank Gaia for horus healers, as all were raised afterwards, even if we all did use axe.
I don´t know what´s up with the vermins these days, but they are vicious, and everywhere. Twice these last days I have fallen to one. And that would of course be no problem if I was a mystic or a low leveled healer, but, I am a high leveled fighter! I solo Savanna Mahas! And Grey Wyrms! Tell that to the vermins though. Sigh... The worst part of this is that they seem to crawl up under your foot when you run. So, you think you have escaped the trap, only to find yourself surrounded by even more. Give me a Greater Wraith any day , but 30 vermins...oh dear , oh dear. And they will nibble my health away, no matter how many lessons I have had with Detha or Balthus. I guess those with many lessons of Troilus doesn´t suffer as much as I do. Savanna is at times so hard, I find myself more often in the camp healing up, than out there and whacking Mahas. I guess I need to talk to Troilus a bit more. Speaking of which, if you see Axell in the lands I did NOT fall in the southforest after she went into the library. Just wanted to say that...
A dream came true last night. Indeed it did. Atomical came up to me in townsquare and challenged me to a duel. I have no idea why he did that. I have been trying earlier, but to no avail. J`nder was so kind to come along, and as I entered the arena I made it quite clear that no one should touch Atomical. A duel is a duel, and it has to be done with honor. Of course, it was over fast, but he fled on red, so I didn´t get the pleasure of molding him into floormaterial. Pity, that was. He said that no healer would have raised him anyway. Why did I bring J´nder along in the first place then? Ah well. It was a pleasure never the less. There is one thing good about Atomical though, he do not only pick one target to annoy. He annoys us all. And sometimes he is just hilarious, whether he knows about it or not.
As I write this Master Hekus has only two more pieces to go before the altar is complete. He seems to require a day for each piece, so now it will not last long until the healers are able to self-heal again. I hope. It has been hard for the healers, but also for fighters and those dependant on healers to survive. It is not always possible to find another healer to come along on a hunt. And then you can´t hunt... I met Falinea in the southforest, and she still can´t heal, although she said she may be able to fly soon. I wonder when she will call...